SAN FRANCISCO (Interstat) — Kayla Thornton scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the Golden State Valkyries defeated the Portland Fire 95-77 Tuesday night at Chase Center before 18,064.

Janelle Salaun added 18 points for Golden State, which improved to 6-3. Veronica Burton contributed 10 points and nine assists. The Valkyries broke open a close game by outscoring Portland 35-16 in the second quarter, taking a 56-36 halftime lead. Thornton made three 3-pointers in the first quarter alone, and Salaun hit two from deep in the second period.

Portland dropped to 6-5 despite 13 points and eight rebounds from Megan Gustafson. Emily Engstler finished with 12 points and eight rebounds, and Teja Oblak scored 11 off the bench. The Fire shot 20 points in both the first and third quarters but could not overcome Golden State’s decisive second-quarter surge.

Kiah Stokes blocked three shots and grabbed five rebounds for the Valkyries, while Carla Leite dished seven assists for Portland.